Portable boat dock fenders



June 17, 1969 D. L.. RosKoPF 3,449,917

PORTABLE BOAT DOCK FENDERS Filed July 28, 1967 Sheet l of 2 INVEIVIUR DONALD L. ROSKOPF ATTORNEY June 17, 1969 n.1.. RosKoPF 3,449,917

PORTABLE BOAT DOCK FENDERS Filed July ze, 1967 sheet f3 of 2 NVEJVTOR. DONALD l.. ROSKOPF ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,449,917 PORTABLE BOAT DOCK FENDERS Donald L. Roskopf, 25140 Dallas Drive, Grosse Ile, Mich. 48138 Filed July 28, 1967, Ser. No. 656,836 Int. CL E02b 3/22; B63b 21 /00 U.S. Cl. 61-48 5 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE Portable boat dock fenders of the type employable when tying-up or mooring a pleasure craft such as a sail boat, motor boat or cruiser to a dock, wharf or pier having a plurality of generally vertically disposed facing piles or bumper timbers spaced therealong, a typical portable boat dock fender of the invention consisting of a rigid vertically disposed back member onto the face of which is secured a resilient vertical continuous bumper element by such means as preferably vertically spaced transversely disposed pairs of through bolts therealong, upper and lower quickly securable and removable means for removably securing said portable boat dock fender to a dock pile or the like at a selected level to receive the bumping of the rub-rail of a boat thereagainst 'when the craft is tied up to a boat dock, the said portable boat dock fender including laterally spaced means at the upper and lower portions thereof positively engaging the pile or bumper timber of said wharf or pier whereby to prevent dislocation of said portable boat dock fender with respect to said pile or bumper timber when remova- 'bly secured thereto and when in use.

Small craft such as sail boats, motor boats and cruisers are continually subject to being damaged by wave action or swells when tied up or moored at a boat dock. This is particularly the case when the craft is moored away from its home dock and where adequate provisions are not available for temporarily docking such craft without damage thereto.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the instant invention is to provide an improved portable boat dock fender that may be stowed away and carried by small craft and which may be easily and readily removably fixed to and removed from piles or other vertical timbers of boat docks for small craft, the said boat dock fenders being applicable vertically along the face of dock piling to at least one but preferably two adjacent dock piles of the dock at a selected elevation above water level to assure that the side rail or rub-rail of the small craft will bump thereagainst during dockage thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide portable boat dock fenders for securment to vertically disposed piles or tim-bers of pleasure boat docks, each boat dock fender consisting of a suitable substantially rigid vertical back member, a resilient 'bumper element secured to` the face of said back member, means preferably fixed to the upper and lower portions of said back member for engagement around a dock pile for readily removably securing and releasing said boat dock fender to and from the outer face of a pile, and laterally spaced preferably pointed pin means extending from the rear of said back member embeddable in said pile when said boat dock fender is mounted thereon and secured thereto preventing dislocation of said boat dock fender when in use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of a portable boat dock fender embodying the invention removably secured to the outer face of a pile of a boat dock for pleasure craft.

F'ICC FIG. 2 is lan enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of the portable boat dock fender disclosed in FIG. l, the lower portion being similar.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 1 showing the portable boat dock fender mounted on a pile by its upper thong type quickly securable and releasable securing means together with a pair of pile engaging pins.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view as taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

FIG. 6` is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing an alternate single cavity resilient bumper element which is preferably sealed closed at both ends to serve as an air cushioned portable boat dock fender of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views7 the particular portable boat dock fender 10 disclosed in FIGS. 1-5 inclusive to illustrate the invention preferably comprises a vertical back member 11 of a hard wood plank onto the outer face of which is secured a longitudinally disposed preferably rubber bumper element 12 by transversely disposed longitudinally spaced pairs of bolts 14 and 140 employing suitable round washers 15 and elongated Washers 150 where and as required.

The upper two and lower two pairs of bolts 14 and are spaced relatively close together and extend through a suitable rectangular clamp plate 16 which clamps or anchors the flat belt or thong 21 of a transversely disposed securing means 20 to the upper and lower portions of the back member 11. Each said securing means 20 consists of a at belt or thong 21 of Sullicient length to extend around a pile 40 or the like of a boat dock 50 and allow the long free end 210 thereof to extend through a quick release clamp 22 xed to the short end 211 0f said at belt or thong 21. The at belt or thong 21 may be of woven canvas or nylon cord or other suitable material of adequate strength for its purpose and resistant to deterioration from moisture. The quick release clamp 22 may be of any conventional buckle or anchor type; for example, such as employed in modern automotive seat belts or the like. Since the quick release clamp 22 may be of any conventional type usable with the particular fiat belt or thong 21, it need not be described in detail herein. Obviously, any suitable securing means such as rope or chain of adequate strength and convenience in use may be substituted for the securing means 20, and may be connected in any suitable manner to the back member 11 so as to extend laterally preferably from the rear thereof.

To avoid dislocation of the portable boat dock fender when in use, means are employed such as laterally spaced sharpened upper and lower pairs of pointed pin type pile engaging elements 1400 preferably consisting of suitably pointed ends of selected pairs of upper and lower bolts 140 which `also secure the rubber bumper element 12 and clamp plate 16 to the vertical back member 11. The said bolts 140 are the same as the bolts 14 except that they are longer and are formed at their free ends into relatively sharply pointed pin elements 1400` capable of engaging and biting into a pile 40 of a boat dock 50 t0 prevent dislocation of the portable boat dock fender 10 once it is removably secured to the outer face of the pile 40 Iby the securing means 20. As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 5, it is preferable that the second from the top and second from the bottom pairs of bolts 140 are formed to function as pile engaging elements 1400 as well as securing the vertical rubber bumper element 4and `a portion of the clamp plate 16 to the vertical back member 11. Al-

ternatively, any other of the upper pairs and any other of the lower pairs of bolts 14 of the portable boat dock fender may be bolts 140` having pile engaging elements 1400 if desired. y

Obviously, laterally spaced means other than the laterally spaced pile engaging elements 1400 may be employed on the upper and lower rear portion of the vertical back member 11 of the portable boat dock fender to engage the outer face of the pile 50 to prevent its dislocation on the pile when removably secured thereto and when in use.

lIn mounting a portable boat dock fender onto a pile 40, the said fender 10 is preferably first positioned at the desired elevation above water level WL on the face of the pile 40, and it is there pressed or pounded by ones hand against the said pile 40 to positively engage the said pile with the pointed pin type pile engaging elements 1400, and then the securing means is positioned around the pile 40 and the belt or thong 21 thereof cinched-up and secured by the quick release clamp 22. The portable boat dock fender 10 will then remain in its mounted position on the pile or the like ready to receive bumping of a boat nib-rail thereagainst while the boat is tied-up to the dock in the usual conventional manner. Obviously, it is preferable to use one portable boat dock fender on each of two piles of a boat dock to which a boat or other pleasure craft is tied-up or docked.

The rubber bumper element 12 of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. l-S inclusive preferably may be of a conventional double hollow pyramidal extruded rubber type or the like providing a pair of vertical bumper ribs 120 and securing anges 121. However, other suitable and adequate bumper elements 12 may be employed.

FIG. 6 discloses a modied portable boat dock fender 100 embodying the invention wherein an air cushioned rubber bumper element 24 having a single longitudinal hollow rib 240 of substantial size and securing flanges 121 is employed. The said hollow rib 240 is hermetically sealed at both ends by such means as a relatively thick rubber end plug 241 vulcanized or otherwise secured therein. This construction provides an air cushioned bumper having a greater cushioning effect than the bumper element 12. Otherwise the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG. 6 is like and similar to the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 1-5 inclusive.

Although but one embodiment of the invention and one modiiication thereof has been disclosed and described herein, it is obvious that many changes may vbe made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the several elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable boat dock fender for removably mounting on the face of a vertically disposed longitudinally spaced pile or timber of pleasure boat docks comprising a substantially rigid vertical back member,

a resilient bumper element secured along the face of said back member,

flexible means xed to the upper and lower portions of said back member readily positioned around said pile removably securing said portable boat dock fender at any selected elevation on said pile,

upper and lower pairs of laterally spaced pile engaging means extending rearwardly of said vertical back member formed to engage a pile when said portable boat dock fender is positioned against the outer face of said pile and removably secured thereto.

2. A portable boat dock fender as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower pairs of laterally spaced pile engaging means consist of pointed pins.

3. A portable boat dock fender as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means readily removably securing the same to said pile consists of a thong xed to said back member and includes a quick tightening and release clamp means.

4. A portable boat dock fender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resilient bumper element includes a pair of longitudinally laterally spaced resilient ribs.

5. A portable boat dock fender as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resilient bumper element includes a single hollow tubular member hermetically sealed at the upper and lower ends thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,892,315 6/1959 Blancato 61-48 3,121,997 2/ 1964 Sampson 61-48 2,952,979 9/ 1960 Rolando 61--48 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,378,858 7/1964- France.

945,45 6 1/ 1964 Great Britain.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 114--219 

